A contemporary depiction of SCP-1445, dating to approximately 14██ CE.

Item #: SCP-1445

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-1445 is to be kept in a standard storage chamber inside Storage Site-23, with standard humidity control mechanisms for purposes of antique preservation. The object is to be kept sterile and examined biweekly. Other additional antique preservation measures may be employed as necessary under the direction of the curator Mr. C████, an expert in Ming Dynasty antiques from the Antiquities Department. Guards posted at the entrance of the chamber are to search for and confiscate matches, lighters, or any other incendiary tools from visitors.

Because public knowledge of SCP-1445 existed prior to its containment in various degrees due to its history, information countermeasures have been deployed by the Foundation in order to prevent the spread of knowledge of its anomalous properties. In the Western world, where references to the object have been found in texts back to 19██ CE, the history of SCP-1445 is to be branded as a myth. References to the object as such have been disseminated into the media, discrediting the actual accounts of the object. In the People''s Republic of China, the aid of the Chinese government has been enlisted to restrict access to contemporary accounts of SCP-1445 and to suppress the rumors of SCP-1445 in Chinese internet circles. Specifically, the government internet commentators colloquially known as the "5 Mao Party" have been instructed on the Foundation''s behalf to disparage any users who allege the existence of the object, past or present, on the basis of the history of SCP-1445 being entirely made up of "superstitious beliefs". They were further instructed to redirect the attention to modern Chinese spacefaring achievements and divert the topic completely, using Chinese nationalism as a catalyst.

Description: SCP-1445 is a wooden chair approximately 0.75 meters tall, resting on top of a square base of 1.5 meters with a height of 3 centimeters. The base suffers minor burn damage, presumably from its first usage. All of the wood material used in SCP-1445 has been identified to be from Dalbergia odorifa1. When carbon dated, the object was to determined to be about 5██ years old and to have been made around 14██ CE, or during the early portion of the Ming Dynasty. Eleven rockets are attached both to the left and right faces of the base, for a total of twenty-two rockets. The rockets have fuses that are suspected to regenerate after use, however no other parts of the object display such regenerative properties and can be damaged as expected. Mr. C████ noted the furniture as a whole to be extremely well maintained for its age, attributable to the time the object spent in the vacuum of space. However, it has suffered minor damage from what have been determined to be micrometeoroid impacts, though the object was repaired and restored to the greatest extent possible after acquisition, under the coordination of Mr. C████.

SCP-1445 first entered the Foundation''s attention in 20██ CE, when Foundation web crawlers noted persistent rumors in the popular Chinese web portals ████ and █████ of the chair of the Ming Dynasty official Wan Hu being found in low Earth orbit. The rumors were detailed to the point of providing apparent coordinates of [REDACTED] and low-resolution pictures of the object. Using the Foundation telescope located at [REDACTED], researchers were able to see the object along with what appeared to be a seated cadaver. Additionally, after a search of Foundation historical databases, contemporary records of the Ming Dynasty dating from 14██ CE were found that confirmed the historical nature of the launch. After the verifications of the rumors, the Chinese government was contacted, and the offending material was immediately removed, with information countermeasures then developed and deployed as per the Special Containment Procedures.

Extraterrestrial Retrieval Team █-█ was dispatched to the site and removed both SCP-1445 and the cadaver for examination upon arrival at Storage Site-23. After SCP-1445 was brought to Storage Site-23, the cadaver was taken away and brought to the medical wing for an autopsy. At the same time, a request for an expert to the Antiquities Department was made, which resulted in Mr. C████ being brought to Storage Site-23 to examine the object. He had inferred correctly that the piece dated from the Ming Dynasty and noted the damage the object had received, then suggested measures to store and preserve the object. He offered to perform said measures to demonstrate their effectiveness, and after review he was inducted as a curator for SCP-1445.

Upon detailed examination of the retrieved objects conducted by scientific personnel on site, it was noted that neither the chair nor the cadaver suffered the damage that they should have sustained upon traveling at escape velocity from atmospheric friction and drag. In addition, neither suffered any significant decomposition due to the time spent in the vacuum of space, though the cadaver had been frozen solid. The cadaver was noted to be wearing a hanfu2 appropriate to the style of the Ming Dynasty and a wushamao3, consistent with the object''s time of origin. The clothes were then removed for the autopsy, which determined that the specimen had suffered from brain damage stemming from sudden deceleration and had died as a result of asphyxiation. Damage from micrometeoroid impacts was also found on the specimen, similar to the damage found on SCP-1445.

A testing procedure for SCP-1445 has been proposed by Dr. A███, in order to discern the anomalous properties of the object directly through experimentation. After a week of consideration and consultation with other departments of the Foundation, the proposal was rejected by Site Director ██████ (See Addendum-1445-A). However, based on contemporary documents in Foundation historical databases, the observed position of the object in space, and the information received from the autopsy conducted, some anomalous properties of the object have been hypothesized, for focused testing of the object in the future:

The fuses of the object are capable of regeneration. When found, the fuses were unburnt, but contemporary documents clearly describe a "[…] ceremonious lighting of the fuses."

Upon the lighting of all of the fuses, SCP-1445 is capable of reaching escape velocity and generating an anomalous amount of propulsion from the rockets. The hypothesis is supported by the object''s final position in space, in a low Earth orbit. The contemporary description of the event indicated that actual rocketry was involved, because the object was said to have "[brought] Wan Hu into the aegis of Heaven with a great deal of fire and smoke, to never be seen again."

The object generates an anomalous field around it to nullify the effects of atmospheric friction and drag. No damage has been observed on the object from such effects and any object reaching Earth''s escape velocity should have suffered significant damage.

The object comes to a sudden halt immediately after entering low Earth orbit. The specimen was found to have suffered from brain damage from rapid deceleration, suggesting that the object stopped moving upon reaching its current position. Additionally, the contemporary documents described Wan Hu''s goal as "[breaking] the reach of the Earth to join Heaven as one," which could be interpreted to have been accomplished by entering into low Earth orbit.

After having consulted with the Accounting Department and the Information Control Department, I am afraid that your proposal for testing SCP-1445 will be rejected. Following are the reasons for denial: According to the Accounting Department, the proposal that you have sent will cost approximately $███.█ million for retrieval alone (and this is in addition to taking valuable time out of Retrieval''s busy schedule). Then, adding in the $██.█ million estimate the Information Control Department gave me (assuming a best-case scenario) or up to $██.█ million (assuming a worst-case scenario), I am afraid that there is just not enough funding available for testing this object. The $██.█ million that has already been spent on it is already far and beyond the total costs of most objects. While the Foundation''s coffers are deep, and research is an important aspect of the Foundation, we can hardly afford to be extravagant while testing an easily contained Safe-class object that is already fairly well understood. I respect your devotion to science and empirical data, but the potential benefit for the cost is low, the amount of risk is high, and there are more urgent matters that draw the Foundation''s attention and resources. Remember our priorities, Dr. A███.

Cordially,
Site Director ██████

Footnotes

1. Commonly known as fragrant rosewood, a popular material for high-quality wooden furniture during the Ming and Qing dynasties.